Thursday, April 26, 2012

Graham Gives Back

Graham Rahal loves IndyCar. A statement of the obvious? Maybe, but he goes out of his way to show it. Take this little bus trip to The Milwaukee Mile he and his main squeeze (my words), the lovely and talented Laken Kurtz (@LakenKurtz), helped organize, for example.

He didn't have to do it, but he loves American open-wheel racing and The Mile, so why not? Take issue with what Graham (@GrahamRahal) does on the track or for his preference of caffeinated beverage, but you can't knock him for the good he does in his spare time. Did I mention he has a foundation that benefits children (www.grahamrahalfoundation.org and @GR_Foundation, for those keeping score)?

Graham Rahal, a second-generation star of the IZOD IndyCar Series and driver of the Service Central No. 38 car for Chip Ganassi Racing, is offering race fans two exclusive tour bus packages from Indianapolis to the Milwaukee IndyFest, June 15 and 16 at the Milwaukee Mile.Each package includes transportation from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the Milwaukee IndyFest, a reserved seat for Saturday's 225-lap IndyCar race, a paddock pass to access the garage area and more. The packages can be purchased from the Milwaukee IndyFest website at www.MilwaukeeIndyFest.com or the Wisconsin State Fair Park box office at 414-266-7100."I'm thrilled that we were able to make this bus trip happen with the Andretti promotions folks," said Rahal, who currently sits eighth in the IZOD IndyCar Series standings. "I hope the fans embrace this great opportunity for a unique experience both on the buses and at the track. I absolutely love racing at Milwaukee, it is one of Americas greatest racetracks, and the fans will not be disappointed one bit."Race Day, Saturday, June 16: $89 per person The Rahal IndyFest Express departs from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 6 a.m. on Saturday, June 16, and returns after the IndyCar race and post-race concert by Smash Mouth. The package includes a reserved grandstand ticket (level 200), a paddock pass, access to all of the infield festival activities including post-race concert, and more.Weekend Package, Friday and Saturday, June 15 -16: $149 per personThe two-day Rahal IndyFest Express will travel to Milwaukee Friday morning, June 15 at 8 a.m. from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, arriving at the Milwaukee IndyFest for practice and qualifying sessions for the IZOD IndyCar Series as well as the Firestone Indy Lights race. The tour will return to Indianapolis Saturday, June 16, following the IndyCar race and concert by Smash Mouth.A hotel room is not provided in the weekend package price, but rooms are available at the Milwaukee Hilton at a rate of $145 per night for participants (one king or two double beds. Hotel booking code provided with confirmation.).The weekend package includes transportation to and from Indianapolis, transport to and from the Milwaukee Hilton, a reserved seat (level 300) for Saturday's 225-lap IndyCar race, two-day paddock pass, Friday general admission ticket with access to all infield festivities, and more.

how we met

A journalist, I’m not, just an enthusiast with a point of view. A grown-up kid who struggled to reconcile his fascination with American open-wheel racing against others’ passion for what played out between the lines of the gridiron and ball diamond.
I first walked through the tunnel at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1973 at age 7 and was captivated. The next decade was spent pressed against chain link fence, straining for a closer look when, despite no real marketable skills, I plotted my way onto a startup Indycar team as a neophyte gofer (thanks Joe). Three years and two teams later, it was back to school.
Since those heady days, I’m holding down a cozy cubicle right here in river city, clinging to fences again, whenever the opportunity arises.
The blog? Just a quiet corner to share my take with anyone who will listen. A healthy main course of IndyCar with a palate-cleansing dose of the requisite peripherals.
Glad you’re here. If you like what you see, stop back often, and bring a friend.
—Chris